1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to seating and platform apparatus for flat deck boats, and more particularly to a convertible bench seat/platform that is pivotally connected to the deck of a pontoon boat that is movable between an inboard position on the deck adjacent to the boat side rail for use as a bench seat and an outboard position for use as a platform for fishing, sitting, diving and swimming or for search and rescue operations.
2. Background Art
Conventional pontoon boats are constructed with a deck positioned atop at least two pontoons and with seating surfaces and boat controls positioned inside a fence or railing substantially surrounding the deck. Typically, an outboard motor is connected to the stem of a pontoon boat for propelling the boat through the water and, in many models, generally L-shaped bench seats are secured to the railing. Traditionally, passengers on pontoon boats have rather limited access to the water surrounding them, typically through two or three narrow gates or doorways provided in the railing to allow entry and exit from the fenced deck area.
There exists a need in the pontoon boat art for providing passengers and crew of pontoon boats with improved access to the surrounding water for recreational activities such as fishing, sitting, diving and swimming, and also for search and rescue operations.
There are several patents that disclose various seating apparatus for boats, some of which are installed on flat deck boats, but none of which disclose the features of the present invention.
Lathers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,783 discloses a marine vehicle having a generally vertical wall and a recreational boat seat/sun deck having a second generally vertical wall extending generally perpendicular to the first wall, a first seat bottom member, a second seat bottom member, a hinge mechanism supporting the first seat bottom member for movement between a first position wherein the first seat bottom member extends generally horizontally from the first wall and a second position wherein the first seat bottom member extends generally vertically against the first wall, and a hinge mechanism supporting the second seat bottom member for movement between an operating position wherein the second seat bottom member extends generally horizontally from the second wall and is generally coplanar with the first seat bottom member when the first seat bottom member is in the first position, and a storage position wherein the second seat bottom member extends generally vertically against the second wall.
Lathers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,068 discloses a marine vehicle having a hull, a floor supported by the hull, and a convertible sofa-sleeper supported by the floor and including a seat bottom member having a forward end which is supported for movement between a horizontal position wherein the seat bottom member extends substantially horizontally, and a canted position wherein the seat bottom member is inclined upwardly toward the forward end.
Huse, U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,605 discloses an expandable seat and storage unit particularly adapted for use in a boat. The expandable seat has a base unit which defines a storage area. A frame is slidably mounted within the base and can slide with respect to the base to expand the length of the seat to form a bed. The frame is locked into the base by the back cushion of the seat. By removing the back cushion, the frame section can be slid out of the base and then the back cushion can be used along with the seat cushion to form a bed. The frame has side members which extend generally perpendicular from the side edges of the front face of the frame and ride in tracks formed in the base unit. The tracks are along the sides of the base unit and do not interfere with the storage area. Further, the tracks are formed integrally in the base unit to facilitate easy inexpensive manufacture and operation.
Dystra et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,571 discloses a marine seating apparatus for a boat which has a one piece base to which is affixed a seat. The seat has a back portion divided into two parts, lower and upper, by a living hinge and a bench portion. In another embodiment a footrest portion is also included. In that embodiment, the footrest and bench portions are integrally formed and are separated by another living hinge. The seating apparatus is simply constructed of a sandwich material with outer layers comprising polyethylene and a core comprising foam. The seating apparatus may be moved between a bench style configuration and a lounge configuration.
Davidson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,648 discloses a motor boat having front and rear casting platforms and side platforms, a center console and oppositely facing, front and rear seat assemblies. Both seat assemblies can be opened to provide maximum seating when the boat is to be used for cruising. The front seat assembly may be collapsed to provide an extended front casting platform when it is desired to use the boat as a bay or striper boat. Both seat assemblies can be folded down to extend the front and rear casting platforms for use of the boat as a bass boat. When the seat assemblies are collapsed, supports are provided for a rigid back member forming part of each seat back and latches secure the seat backs in their collapsed position so that the rear surfaces of the rigid members provide stable extended casting platforms.
Neese et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,647,916 and 6,789,494 disclose a fold out seat assembly is attached to a support structure having a substantially vertical mounting surface. The seat assembly comprises two sections: a backrest that is fixedly attached to the mounting surface above the seat assembly, and a seat unit that is movable from a vertical stored position against the mounting surface to a horizontal seating position the major portions of which are detachable from the mounting surface when not needed.
Biedenweg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,440 discloses a collapsible changing room for a pontoon boat having a rear entry stern gate. The collapsible changing room is formed in part by the passenger seat positioned adjacent the rear entry stern gate. An L-shaped bracket is rigidly secured to the rear portion of the seat and is further hingedly secured to a vertical fence member spaced from the seat back. The seat and the L-shaped support can be rotated upwardly away from the boat deck to a position in which the seat bottom is generally perpendicular to the boat deck. When the seat is rotated to this position, a curtain frame hingedly connected to the seat can be rotated from a stored position within the seat base to an extended position substantially parallel to the boat deck. Keller, U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,280 discloses a boat with swing chair seating which incorporates an inertia control swing pivot under the chairs which are pivotally mounted at and along the sidewalls of the boat, and are capable of being swung to a position outward of the sidewalls of the boat.
Frandsen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,190 discloses a combination seating and decking for an open bow boat that has a seat back system which includes a pair of seat benches for mounting to the floor of the open bow section of the boat. The seat backs are individually mounted to pivot from a vertical, seat back attitude, to a horizontal attitude covering over the open bow section and includes an arrangement for pivoting the seat backs that can be hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical, that each involve an extending piston between a boat floor and at a location along a brace that is secured to a seat back side, extending at a right angle therefrom, with piston extension to provide seat back travel, providing a load bearing deck.
Butler, U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,403 discloses a take-down seat assembly for use in a watercraft having a deck. The seat assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion. First and second connector panels that are separable from and independent of the first and second portions interconnect the first and second portions. A plurality of locking tabs extend from each of the connector panels and are inserted into a plurality of slots defined in the portions to connect the connector panels to the first and second portions. A mounting bracket is attached to a base of each of the connector panels and perpendicularly extends from the connector panels to mount the connector panels to the deck thereby securing the first and second portions to the deck.
Summerford, U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,616 discloses a folding boat seat system mountable to a vertical mounting surface such as a bulkhead of the boat. The system includes a seat; a pair of guide followers extending from opposite sides of the seat; a pair of guides mountable to the mounting surface and configured for receiving the guide followers; a substantially U-shaped frame member having opposite ends pivotally mounted adjacent the guide followers; and a pair of bias struts, each having a first end pivotally mounted adjacent one of the guides and a second end pivotally mounted to support the seat.